Nissan launches £3m autonomous vehicle research project

Nissan has announced the launch of a £3 million government-backed research project to test how autonomous passenger services could operate in UK communities.

The car manufacturing company has chosen Cambridge as its first city for real-world trials.

The project, called ADventure, will explore how self-driving mobility services can improve transport links, increase accessibility and build public confidence in autonomous technology, rather than focusing solely on vehicle development.

Led by engineers at Nissan Technical Centre Europe, the initiative brings together Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick, Partners for Automated Vehicle Education UK, local authorities and community groups.

The programme has secured backing from the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, in partnership with Innovate UK.

The consortium will use a specially equipped 2022 Nissan Leaf car model to examine how autonomous passenger services perform on public roads while gathering feedback from residents and commuters. Researchers will assess whether autonomous transport can address practical challenges, such as helping people without access to a car attend medical appointments.

The project centres on three areas: designing autonomous mobility services that complement existing transport networks, understanding what passengers need to feel confident using driverless services, and validating autonomous driving systems under real-world conditions.

Nissan said Cambridge was selected following a detailed assessment because of its experience in transport innovation and previous autonomous vehicle trials.

The project builds on Nissan’s previous UK autonomous driving programmes, including HumanDrive, ServCity and evolvAD, which have tested self-driving technology in increasingly complex road environments.

“This project is an important step for autonomous mobility in the UK. With UK Government backing, it will take autonomous vehicle research beyond central London and into another city, helping us understand how these services can work for different communities and real-life journeys,” said David Moss, senior vice president of research and development for Nissan Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania.

“By developing and applying Nissan’s in-house expertise, combined with the wider knowledge from our partners, we can delve further into how self-driving vehicles can improve connectivity, accessibility and quality of everyday life.”